Helping Patients

Month: February 2016

Erica Desai is a passionate young medical professional specializing in heart care based in Durham, North Carolina. Through her work at a prestigious heart care center in the area, as well as her volunteer experience with the American Heart Association, Desai has learned the importance of keeping your heart healthy, as well as how to take care of your heart for long-term good hearth health and function.

There are many simple ways to keep your heart healthy. The best way to maintain a healthy heart is to exercise often and eat a healthy diet with a wide variety of good nutrients. Exercise, especially cardio, helps keep the heart strong and fast. It is also important to eat healthy, because unhealthy foods with high amounts of cholesterol and fat can clog arteries, which can lead to heart disease. There are plenty of foods that are particularly good for heart health, including nuts, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, etc.), blueberries, oatmeal, dark chocolate, olive oil, and many more.

Erica Desai

There are also several behaviors that should be avoided for good heart health. One of the most important of these is smoking. Smoking can be extremely detrimental to the cardiovascular system because it increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks. It is also important to drink alcohol only in moderation. While small to moderate amounts of alcohol, particularly red wine, can be good for heart health due to a polyphenol called resveratrol, large amounts of alcohol can be very harmful. It is best to just stick to one or two drinks per day, at the very most. Another very important thing to avoid for heart health is high amounts of sugar and fat. Sugar in large amounts increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, which is extremely bad for your heart and can lead to greater problems like heart attacks and heart disease. Harmful fats can clog arteries, leading to heart disease.

Certain people are at higher risk for heart disease and other heart problems than others. The older you are, the higher your risk of heart problems will be. In particular, women over age 55 and men over age 45 should be aware of the risks of heart disease. Those who have a family history of heart problems are also at a higher risk of heart problems, so it is important to know if your relatives have had heart attacks, heart disease, diabetes, or other cardiovascular issues. Everyone, but especially those who are at high risk for heart problems, should get regular checkups to eliminate the possibility of any problems and get advice from a health professional. Erica Desai regularly helps patients achieve healthy hearts and prevent future problems through her work at a heart health center.